Wired takes a look at how the Ravens are on the cutting edge of using technology to scout their opponents. Which leads me to this: if every person who reads this site donates $50,000, the Football Outsiders can each have their very own high-tech coaching station. And that means more geeky stats for you, the readers. Everybody wins. (link via Off Wing Opinion)

Apparently, nobody from FO linked this while I was driving around Dallas on Tuesday. I swear, is there anything in Dallas that is less than an hour away from anything else? Anyway, I haven't had a chance to read this yet but I'm sure it's swell. Apparently, TMQ's opinion of Mr. Ron Mexico is similar to ours.

The Toronto Argonauts played the Edmonton Eskimos last weekend, but with 5,000 CBC employees on strike, management had to air the game sans camera technicians, directors and announcers ... and the ratings went up. So let me get this straight, fans actually enjoy watching football games without a lot of inane banter, exploding graphics, and mind-numbing sideline reports, even if that means all they can hear is the crowd noise and the PA announcer? Hmmm.

Mike Tanier talks, people listen. Tim Rattay is the starting QB in San Francisco, beating out #1 pick Alex Smith for the honor of being a first round Loser League selection. Adjust your cheat sheets accordingly if you're in a fantasy league deep enough where the 49er starting quarterback is on your cheat sheet.

My latest piece in The New Republic Online documents the way Sports Illustrated has changed in the last two decades. I know we often have fun at the expense of Peter King around here, but I think the stuff he does in the magazine is first-rate. Unfortunately, many of his SI colleagues aren't such solid journalists. Note especially the SI reporter who donated to George W. Bush's re-election campaign -- then gave him a softball interview. (Free New Republic Online registration required.)

Where's Rodney Harrison when you need him? Maybe Roethlisberger can get some advice on how to turn something pretty benign into motivation for proving all his critics wrong (or at least those critics who play 'Madden').

Big surprise, Lawrence Phillips is in trouble with the law. I remember an interview one time with Tom Osborne, then the Nebraska coach, now a congressman. The interviewer asked Osborne why he didn't discipline Phillips more harshly, and Osborne's response was, "What would that have done for Lawrence Phillips?" The interviewer didn't respond to that, but my response would have been, "Maybe it would have taught him there are consequences to his actions." It's a lesson Phillips still hasn't learned.

If you believe the numbers we use here at Football Outsiders, the rich have gotten richer and the poor have gotten poorer. As our friend Corey mentioned at the Pro Football Prospectus book signing in Chicago, Andre Davis has put up some surprisingly good numbers in Cleveland despite having a less-than-stellar group of quarterbacks throwing him the ball. Corey also blogged on the subject here.

Eli Manning injured his elbow on Saturday night during a pre-season game and the Giants are "very concerned." Manning underwent an MRI, but the full results won't be available until Monday. If Eli's elbow injury is serious, it will be another long season in the Meadowlands for the Giants.